When a routine instruction is ignored, it is easy to repeat yourself, plead or let the exchange become a public contest. This practical eBook helps inner-city secondary teachers focus on the action they need a pupil to take, phrase it clearly and respond without sarcasm or avoidable power struggles. Follow a seven-chapter sequence: notice the pattern in the exchange, make the requested action concrete, check the instruction for clarity, prepare the phrase, correct quietly, hold the boundary and refine your wording. Apply the approach to familiar classroom moments such as starting written work, getting equipment out and changing activities. The emphasis is on respectful, consistent communication that keeps attention on teaching and learning, rather than labelling the pupil. Read digitally and use the ideas to reflect on a specific interaction and prepare a clearer response for next time.